

Highview Happenings
December 1, 2023
From the Principal's Desk...
Dear Highview Families,
Happy Friday! I hope you and your loved ones enjoyed a fabulous Thanksgiving Recess. We are now in the month of December, and time is flying! It is sure to be a fun-filled month for staff, students, and families as we prepare for the festive season!
Next week, the Nanuet Elementary PTA will host Highview's Holiday Boutique. The generous PTA is donating a $5.00 voucher to every student in Grades PreK through 4. Please see the Holiday Boutique section below for more information.
All students in Grades K-4 will dismiss at 11:35 a.m. on Tuesday, December 5. This is a day for teachers to analyze data and complete report cards. The end of Marking Period 1 is Thursday, December 7, and the beginning of Marking Period 2 is Friday, December 8. The digital report card portal will open to families on Thursday, December 14. Additionally, students will bring home hard copies of their report cards that same day.
A. MacArthur Barr Middle School is running a Babysitting Fundraiser on Friday, December 8 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. RoseAnn Mercado, Director of the Nanuet Family Resource Center, helped fund a Babysitting Course for our Nanuet students in Grade 8. Approximately 25 students in Grade 8 took this course and are now certified babysitters! These students, along with A. MacArthur Barr Middle School staff, will be running their very first Babysitting Fundraiser. Parents/guardians of Nanuet [only] school- aged students can drop off their children at Barr Middle School from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and the certified babysitters will run a variety of different activities to entertain the children during this time.
Barr Middle School - Babysitting Fundraiser
I hope you and your loved ones enjoy a healthy, relaxing weekend. We look forward to welcoming our Highview Knights back to school on Monday, December 4.
Sincerely,
Matthew Lutz
Principal
Charter Shout-Outs for the Week
On a rotating basis, classroom teachers nominate two students from their classes to receive a Charter Shout-Out. The class charter is a RULER anchor tool used in all classrooms to help students develop expectations for success as learners and members of the community. The Charter Shout-Out gives teachers the opportunity to highlight students who are living up to their classroom charters.
This week, students in Mrs. Amann's, Mrs. Brooke's, Mrs. Mitlof's, and Mrs. Collins' classes received shout-outs and were recognized over morning announcements. Congratulations to Elijah (3KA), Camryn (3KB), Gregory (3KB), Avien (4AM), and Emily (4HC)! See their proud picture below!
Principal's Pride
Being the Principal of Highview Elementary School brings me a tremendous amount of joy and pride. I am beyond lucky to be able to work with such incredible students, staff, and families.
I would like to give a HUGE shout-out to our two dynamic Physical Education Teachers. Mr. Josue Pierre and Ms. Briana Scalisi do a wonderful job inspiring our K-4 students to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle. The energy they bring to our school community is so uplifting. They were integral in planning and hosting the Turkey Trot we had on November 22. Thank you, Mr. Pierre and Ms. Scalisi! We are lucky to have you!
Golden Spotlight - RULER Family Engagement Knight
We are incredibly proud of the work we do to foster Social-Emotional Learning and mental well-being here at Highview. It is embedded into the fabric of our school community. Many thanks to our mental health team for all they do to support our students, staff, and families. We are grateful for Mrs. Lazev, Ms. Lipson, and Mrs. Weiss!
Additionally, here is a very special video from our RULER Family Engagement Knight on Thursday, November 16. Thank you to our faculty/staff and student ambassadors for making this wonderful evening a possibility. Our students enjoyed taking their parents/guardians/caregivers through the various stations. Many thanks to Jonathan Clark, our district's Public Information Specialist from Rockland BOCES, for capturing and documenting this event.
Holiday Boutique Schedule
The Nanuet Elementary PTA is hosting Highview's Holiday Boutique the week of December 4. All classes will have the opportunity to visit the boutique. When each class attends the boutique, students will have the opportunity to purchase items to gift to their families. The PTA is looking for volunteers to help with this event. Please reach out to nanuetpta@gmail.com if you are interested in donating your time.
Because of your consistent participation in the PTA fundraisers this year, the PTA is able to generously provide a $5.00 Knights Golden ticket voucher for each student Pre-K to Grade 4 to purchase something from the upcoming Holiday Boutiques. Of course, you are more than welcome to send additional money for shopping with your child! We are so fortunate to have a community that supports our students and the organizations that work to enhance their educational experience.
The list below outlines when your child's class will visit the boutique.
Monday, December 4
- 4MB - Mrs. Banks
- 4LC - Mrs. Cooney
- 3KS - Mrs. Stead
- 3JM - Mrs. Merz
- 4CM - Mrs. Miller
Wednesday, December 6
- 4JL - Mr. Lawless
- 4HC - Mrs. Collins
- 4AM - Mrs. Mitlof
- 3MR - Ms. MacRobbie
- 3AM - Mrs. Mitlof
- 3AK - Ms. Kern
- BOCES - Mrs. Tarique
- 3PD - Mrs. DeGennaro
Thursday, December 7
- 4KM - Mrs. McGuire
- 4TN - Mr. Nye
- 3KA - Mrs. Amann
- 3KB - Mrs. Brooke
- Grade 3 Absentees
- Grade 4 Absentees
Incredible Irish Dancers
Five Nanuet students competed at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Oireachtas (Irish step dance competition). Three of those students are current Highview students: Maisie, Austin, and Grace. Two of those students are former Highview students: Hannah and Nohla. To compete at the Oireachtas takes years of training to learn traditional Irish step dances (performed individually) and group dances called Ceilis. These students train at the Inishfree school of Irish Dance together in Pearl River. They all medaled in at least one dance with Grace placing 3rd in the entire region for her age group in the trad set which is a traditional Irish dance.
Pearl River Elks Club - Hoop Shoot
On Saturday, December 2, the Pearl River Elks Club will host its annual “Hoop Shoot” here at Highview Elementary School. The event is for boys and girls ages 8-13. Please see the details below.
Event: Pearl River Elks Club Hoop Shoot (Free Throw Program)
Date: Saturday, December 2, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Highview Elementary School Gymnasium
Cost: Free
All participants will receive a bottle of water and t-shirt!
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
During arrival and dismissal, the safety of our students is our top priority. Please review this document, which outlines our arrival and dismissal procedures for the 2023-2024 school year. We thank you in advance for your partnership in following these procedures each day.
Chromebook Care
Please read this document about Caring for Your Chromebook. Nanuet School District provides a Chromebook, charger, and sleeve (case) for each student. Currently, the district fixes and/or replaces devices when necessary but unfortunately, the district does not provide replacement chargers or sleeves to anyone that damages or loses a charger or sleeve. Any student that requires a charger or sleeve after the initial provision will need to purchase a replacement.
Code of Conduct
The Board of Education is committed to providing a safe and orderly school environment where students may receive and district personnel may deliver quality educational experiences without disruption or interference. We ask that you read and review the Code of Conduct for Grades K-4 with your child. Our goal is to ensure students are engaged in learning while making positive contributions to our school community.
Digital Backpack
Each week, documents will be loaded to our Digital Backpack, which is linked to the bottom of the Highview homepage. We encourage you to check the Digital Backpack, which is updated every Friday, to ensure you have updated information on important dates, events, and opportunities being offered to students and families.
Eat-and-Play Challenge
In early September, our School Counselor, Ms. Lipson, and School Social Worker, Mrs. Weiss launched a monthly Eat-and-Play Challenge for our students. The goal is for classes to work together to follow the Eat-and-Play rules during the lunch/recess periods. They have the opportunity to color in a "square" on an incentive chart. The class with the most "squares" colored at the end of the month gets to shop on our FABULOUS prize cart! There will be at least one winner each month in both grade levels.
For the month of November, Mrs. Merz's class won the third-grade challenge and Mrs. McGuire's classes won the fourth-grade challenge. Congratulations, 3JM and 4KM! We look forward to seeing which classes will win for the month of December.
Erin's Law
Over the past several years, many states, including New York, have passed laws with the intent of increasing personal safety awareness and the roles of schools to include certain topics in the curriculum. You may have heard of this legislation under its more common name, Erin's Law. The law came to fruition in honor of Erin Merryn, a brave young woman who has crossed the country advocating for laws that will increase awareness of this crime against children. New York State approved Erin’s Law Curriculum Benchmarks in December 2020, with implementation starting during 2021-2022 school year. For more information about the NYS Erin’s Law Curriculum Benchmarks, please visit the NYSED website here.
One of the requirements of this law is that schools provide an age-appropriate curriculum to all students grades K-8. The purpose of the lessons are to provide students with the tools needed for personal safety. Lessons will be age-appropriate and may include a variety of discussions, activities, and videos. During the 2023-2024 school year, Highview Elementary School students will engage with lessons to meet the requirements of Erin’s Law through the combined efforts of our social workers, psychologists, and counselors. If you have questions about this law, please call our Main Office at (845) 627-3460.
Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)
We are fortunate to have a wonderful Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). We encourage our parents to get involved with the PTA. If you have questions, you can always reach out to our PTA via email at nanuetpta@gmail.com. Additionally, please check out the PTA's Facebook Page and NEW website for more information on how to join this amazing group! Thank you to our fabulous PTA for all you do to support the students, staff, and families in the Nanuet School District!
Nanuet Elementary PTA Facebook Page
Safety and Security Protcols
As you know, the safety of our students and staff is our top priority in the Nanuet Union Free School District. In an effort to ensure our building is safe and secure, we have made some revisions to our visitor policies and procedures at Highview School during the 2022-2023 school year. The protocols are outlined in the document below.
Dates to Remember
Monday, December 4-Friday, December 8
Highview's Holiday Boutique
See the above section for more information!
Tuesday, December 5
G.W. Miller & Highview - Early Dimissal - 11:35 a.m.
Tuesday, December 5
Board of Education Meeting
7:30 p.m. - Nanuet Senior High School
Thursday, December 7
First Day of Hanukkah
Marking Period 1 Ends
Friday, December 8
Marking Period 2 Begins
Monday, December 11
Elementary PTA Meeting
7:30 p.m. at Highview School in Library
Thursday, December 14
Report Card Portal Opens
Report Cards come home!
Tuesday, December 19
Board of Education Meeting
7:30 p.m. - Nanuet Senior High School
Monday, December 25-Friday, December 29
Winter Recess
All Nanuet Schools Closed
Monday, December 25
Christmas
Tuesday, December 26-Monday, January 1
Kwanzaa
Monday, January 1, 2024
New Year's Day
Happy New Year!
All Nanuet Schools Closed
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
School Resumes - Happy 2024!
Thursday, January 4, 2024
Achieve3000 Level Set Administration (ELA)
Friday, January 5, 2024
Spirit Day - Go Golden Knights!
Wear black and gold!
Highview Elementary School
Email: mlutz@nanuetsd.org
Website: highview.nanuetsd.org
Location: 24 Highview Avenue, Nanuet, NY 10954
Phone: (845) 627-3460
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NanuetPublicSchools
Instagram: @nanuetschools
X (Formerly Twitter): @nanuetschools